First
record of Alicia mirabilis (Anthozoa: Actiniaria) from the Aegean Sea and
density assessment with distance sampling in a site of high abundance.

Stelios
Katsanevakis, Maria Thessalou-Legaki

Department
of Zoology-Marine Biology, School of Biology, University of Athens,
Panepistimioupolis, 15784 Athens, Greece

Abstract

The occurrence of the
actiniarian Alicia mirabilis in the Aegean Sea is documented for the
first time from five sites of Saronikos Gulf. A. mirabilis density was
assessed in one site (Lychnari bay) with line transects (underwater distance
sampling with SCUBA). Density ranged between 0–4.3 ind are-1 (1 are
= 100 m2) with a mean of 1.1 ± 0.5 ind are-2. The species
was found in a variety of substrates (sandy bottoms, weeds, seagrass beds,
rocks, litter) and its distribution was aggregated. Distance sampling was an
efficient way to estimate density of A. mirabillis and is proposed as a
good choice for density estimations of actiniarians and other benthic fauna.